When writing business documents, the first thing to consider is the audience, no matter how big or small. While some communications may be tailored to prospective customers, others may need to be focused towards investors and stakeholders. Therefore, the type of language used and the overall style of writing will most likely need to be very different towards these audiences.

Understanding the segment of the audience that a communication is focused towards can make it a lot easier to find the right tone and approach. Remember, although you are writing about your company, you are writing for the audience. The message you are trying to convey is just as important as the manner in which it is done.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can segment your stakeholders and audiences to tailor the information to them in the most appropriate way.

Segmenting the Audience

If we look to create two broad segments initially, we can look at internal and external stakeholders.

Internal Stakeholders

Any type of internal audience is someone internal to the project or business, such as employees or consultants.

Consultants or project-specific individuals are likely to have more in-depth knowledge of the topic they are working on than the rest of the employees. If communicating about something a small team has been working on, be sure to explain any new pieces of information or terminology.

Employees won’t need to know the ins and outs of the programming behind it, but they will need to know how it works and fits into the work they do daily.

Try to find a level that shows consideration for their prior knowledge but adequately explains the new technology.

External Audience

The rest of your audiences can be grouped under the external stakeholder umbrella. Let’s explore these categories.

Below is a general list of the types of audiences you could be writing for with external communications.

  • Project sponsors
  • Customers
  • Local Community
  • Suppliers
  • Society
  • Shareholders
  • Creditors
  • Government

A shareholder is likely to be interested in the financial progress of the company, whereas the local community may be more interested in what you can do to help in community projects. Perhaps you have fundraised, or your staff have volunteered a helping hand somewhere or hosted a local event.

Regardless of whether you work in a B2B or B2C environment, customers will have different needs to other segments of your audience. They will want to know what is new, what they can look forward to, and that they are valued customers who can build a strong relationship with a representative.

Knowledge Levels

As well as different interests in aspects of the business, your external stakeholders are likely to have varied knowledge and understanding of your business.

Sometimes, you may need to have totally different versions of communications for different audiences. In other cases, it may be something as little as using an extra paragraph to introduce a topic which may be new to an audience, rather than assuming their knowledge.

Check Documents Before Sending

At Copyfy we specialise in copywriting services. We are able to assist in creating content to suit your business needs, from reports to website and blog content. If you would like a quote for our copywriting services, contact us to discuss your requirements further or you can place an order directly on our site. We also provide proofreading services if you would like us to review text you have already written.

Our professional proofreaders can identify any errors in spelling, grammar, syntax and all aspects of the writing to make sure your document is the best it can be before it reaches a wider audience.